LUCKNOW, June 9 — The Uttar Pradesh administration on Tuesday launched ‘Project Ganga’, a comprehensive digital infrastructure initiative designed to deliver high-speed broadband connectivity across rural districts while generating localized technology sector employment. The program aims to establish an extensive network of local Digital Service Providers to bridge the digital divide in rural communities, laying a modern foundation for remote learning, telehealth, and advanced agricultural management.
The strategic layout of the development model focuses heavily on fostering self-reliance and entrepreneurship among rural youth. The first phase of the rollout will span 21 districts, with long-term plans to establish connectivity across all 57,000 Gram Panchayats. Expressing the core objective of the massive digital expansion, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated:
“Broadband connectivity has become a basic necessity in today’s era. The faster the internet speed, the faster the pace of development. Project Ganga is an important initiative towards realizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Digital India.”
The operational framework relies on a collaborative partnership with OneOTT Intertainment Limited, the broadband division of the Hinduja Group, which is serving as the project’s technical implementation enabler. The public-private framework is designed to onboard 20 lakh families into the state’s digital economy, develop up to 10,000 localized service operators, and catalyze more than one lakh direct and indirect employment opportunities. To support the initialization of these new rural businesses, the state is extending interest-free loans of up to ₹5 lakh to selected operators through the CM Yuva scheme.
According to regional planning documents presented by the State Transformation Commission, the implementation guidelines place a strong emphasis on gender inclusivity, mandating that approximately 50 percent of the selected digital entrepreneurs will be women. State information technology officials noted that by integrating specialized technical and business training into the infrastructure deployment, the project will transform traditional agrarian villages into self-sustaining smart hubs equipped with robust public Wi-Fi networks and direct e-governance channels.
